Regardless of how much of a show is held indoors, inclement weather will inevitably create issues, as Dave Manning found while surfing his way across country to Shropshire…
Being held on one of the February weekends in which a storm of one name or another battered the British countryside meant that not only was travelling somewhat eventful, but that any outdoors element of a show was going to suffer.
Yet despite the fact that autojumble stallholders either had to be extremely hardy (and stubborn) to remain at their pitches – and not all did, many had left by mid Saturday afternoon – the number of visitors at this year’s Classic Dirt Bike Show was rather surprising.
Enjoy more Old Bike Mart reading every month.
Click here to subscribe & save.
And my surprise was only surmounted by my frustration at trying to get enough room to take any pics of the stunning array of classic mud-pluggers on display within the Telford International Centre’s halls.
And that broad church of off-roaders, scramblers, grasstrack, speedway, trials and trail bikes covered all ages too, with a slight increase in number of more modern off-roaders, although we must remember that bikes from the Eighties are still over thirty years old!
That range was exemplified by the bikes that won awards, with the Best in Show winner being a stunning 1955 Husqvarna Sports 175 exhibited by Mick Beech, while a rare ATK MX 560 from 1987 gained the Best Motocross award.
TV commentary legend Jack Burnicle interviewed both American World Trials champion of 1979, Bernie Schreiber, and British 500cc motocross champion Bryan ‘Badger’ Goss at various points over the weekend, causing further congestion in the corridors, although the PA was loud enough to allow those away from the stage to listen to proceedings, and caused a few clasped hands over children’s ears when the occasional profanity slipped out!
Elsewhere, there were private restorations on display.
Dozens of trade stands supplying riding gear, off-road parts, accessories, books, bodywork, even frame kits and complete machines.
Despite this, I failed to come away from a Drayton frame kit or a twinshock Honda TLR200. Maybe next year…
View more images and read more News and Features at www.oldbikemart.co.uk and in the April 2020 issue of Old Bike Mart – on sale now!
